ADVANCING ICE-RESISTANT TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH INDEPENDENT TESTING AND EVALUATION
ERDC's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) offers specialized ice adhesion testing services that evaluate how effectively engineered surfaces reduce the bond between ice and a material.
Testing is performed using the Ice Adhesion Peel Test (IAPT), a CRREL-developed methodology for evaluating ice adhesion on coatings, films, tapes, deposited surfaces, laser-ablated materials, and other engineered surface technologies. Standard testing is conducted using freshwater columnar ice at approximately -10°C, although environmental conditions and testing parameters can be customized to meet project requirements.
Unlike many laboratory methods that rely on molded ice specimens, CRREL's patented mold-free ice growth process forms freshwater ice with columnar microstructure directly on the test surface. This approach minimizes internal ice stresses, preserves the integrity of the ice-surface interface, and enables researchers to observe ice delamination in real time, resulting in more representative and repeatable performance measurements. In addition, the IAPT geometry is amenable to delamination of ice via two different modes —shear and nominally tensile —allowing for in-depth study of surface technologies to mitigate ice adhesion.
Every project includes analyzed test results supported by comparisons to CRREL's publicly available ice adhesion dataset, providing customers with reliable data for technology development, validation, and independent performance assessment.
Ice Adhesion Peel Test (IAPT)
ERDC's standard testing package uses the Ice Adhesion Peel Test (IAPT) to evaluate ice adhesion performance under two independent loading conditions.
Peel Delamination
Ice is lifted away from the surface, with a nominal tensile stress at the interface, providing insight into ice-shedding behavior
Shear Delamination
Ice is pushed parallel to the surface until delamination occurs, providing complementary performance data under a different loading condition
A standard evaluation includes both peel and shear testing using five unique specimens per loading condition (10 total specimens), with each specimen tested once. Results are analyzed and compared against ERDC's publicly available ice adhesion dataset.
Expanded Testing Capabilities
In addition to standard peel and shear testing, ERDC can incorporate specialized characterization, environmental exposure, durability, and customized testing protocols to support specific research and technology development objectives.
- Surface characterization (wettability, optical profilometry, coating thickness, hardness, gloss, FTIR, and related measurements)
- Outdoor weathering and environmental exposure studies
- Accelerated degradation and corrosion testing
- Abrasion and durability assessment
- Saline spray ice testing
- Repeated icing and de-icing cycle evaluations
- Blind third-party technology assessments
- Customized environmental conditions and testing protocols
- Freeze-thaw cycling
Testing Process
01
Receive & Prepare Specimens
ERDC provides test substrates for
customer-applied technologies
02
Characterize & Test
Ice is grown on the surface and evaluated using the selected testing protocol
03
Analyze & Report
Customers receive analyzed data with references from ERDC's public dataset
Partnership & Collaboration
Inquiries from interested parties will be received directly by the ERDCWERX team. Following initial discussions, ERDC will determine which agreement mechanism is the most appropriate.
Potential Partnership Pathways
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)-
Testing Service Agreement (TSA)
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Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) (Government)
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Interagency Agreement (IAA) (Government)
Learn more about the available pathways to work with ERDC.
Request Information Form
Organizations interested in funding reimbursable services may submit the form below to inquire about collaboration opportunities. Parties interested in submitting solutions for potential funding consideration may visit ERDCWERX.org.
